Mother's Day

I love to take pictures of me and each of the boys on Mother's Day. For much of the year and the pictures we have, I am behind the camera so we end up with not a lot of just me and a boy. Eli was my photographer for the three little boys; Noah took the one of Eli and I but he is just starting to learn how to work the camera so Eli and I had quite a session since I insisted my head needed to be in the picture, ha!

Then we recruited Tim to take one of all of us-we had to hunt him down since he's always working on my mom's apartment. So that picture is in the storage room of the apartment.

Clothes

Eli and Noah share a room and in both of them packing for an overnight stay with friends it looked like their dressers and closet exploded. I didn't realize what they had done until they were both gone. So when they both were home again the next day, I said to them, "Before I get home tomorrow you need to have your room picked up."

Eli nodded in agreement. He knew they had left it a mess.
Noah looked at me and said, "Or what?"
I looked at Noah and said, "There is no 'or'."
He raised his eyebrows and looked towards the floor and said quietly, "That's the worst kind!"

Soccer Boys

My soccer boys, 2013.

They are all playing this year. Eli & Noah are traveling teams, and Eli also plays on a select team.

To date, Simon's team is undefeated.
To date, Jesse is undefeated.
To date, Eli's team is 6-1.
To date, Noah's team is defeated.

Happy Birthday Noah!

I'm not even on Pinterest, but people post stuff on facebook and I am there. So I got this idea from there for Noah's cupcakes for this birthday to take to school. Very cool, but took FOREVER, what with four different colors of icing.

And also a cake for us at home

Happy Birthay Noah!

Hot Summer Nights

Eli was gone with his grandparents for a couple of nights and I don't think Noah wanted to sleep in his room alone, so the first night he slept with Simon in "the little boys room". With Tim being home the boys don't have to get up early and go to daycare like they have in summers past, so there has been a lot of staying up late and sleeping with a brother and what not. As it should be.

Sometime in the night Noah and Jesse came walking in our room, hand in hand, and Noah spoke for them both, "Jesse had a bad dream, can he sleep with you?"

Even though I hadn't heard Jesse cry or wake up or anything and it was hot and sticky, Jesse crawled up in bed with me. After an hour or so of that I carried him back to his own bed, there's only so much of a sweaty four year old body next to you a person can take.

The next night Noah slept with Jesse in his bed. Sometime in the night I heard the distinct knock on the bedroom door that is Jesse. I got up and opened the door, fearing if I called for him to come in he'd crawl into bed with me again and it was even hotter than the last night. I couldn't deal with that.

I opened the door and grabbed his sweaty little hand and as we were walking back to his room he said, "Mom I had a bad dream." I didn't really think he did and was not interested in giving in to that kind of deal where he has "bad dreams" and then comes to sleep with me. I'm a parent of the "kids sleep in their own beds, always" camp. So as we were heading back to his bed I said, "I don't think you did have a bad dream, you don't really have those. Let's just get you back in bed so you can get some good sleep."

He seemed not very happy about that and said, "Well, at least can we move my bed somewhere cooler?"

Poor kid was just too hot. I decided the next night they could all sleep in the playroom-we just got a window AC unit for that room, and for the sake of not having to get up in the night again with him it was worth it to let them all have a slumber party in there.

Night three, Eli was back and they all drug their pillows into the playroom for sleeping in the AC. Personally, I'm thinking about putting the air mattress in there for Tim and I, so we can get a good nights sleep a couple of times a week. But back to the boys. I told them they had to go to sleep right away, not stay up and mess around. If I had to go up and tell them to get quiet they would all go back to their hot bedrooms.

Sure as shoot, later as I was doing paperwork downstairs they were yelling, jumping, fighting and who knows what else. I sent Tim up, he spanked them all soundly and sent them to bed. It was the right decision, but I did feel bad they were all in their hot bedrooms. But what can you do?

Maybe an hour or so later I heard Jesse cry. Not unusual in the least, he's had night terrors for about the past year, usually three times a night before 1:00. I always just wait to make sure it doesn't last more than a minute, which it didn't, so I didn't go upstairs.

When I did go upstairs for bed I checked each of the boys rooms to make sure they opened their windows to get as much relief as the night air could offer us, and that their fans were on. Big boys-check. Little boys-windows still shut and fan off-it was hot in there! I punched on the light so I could see to open the windows and turn the fan on. Simon in his bed-check. Jesse-no where to be found.

I looked in the playroom. There is was, laying on the floor, his head on the hardwood floor beside his pillow and his sheet on the top half of his body, but he was sound asleep. I like a kid who can solve a problem on his own in the middle of the night.

The rest of the story is at four in the morning I woke up covered in sweat. I followed Jesse's lead and took my pillow in the playroom and slept the rest of the night with my feet hanging off the end of the love seat. Apparently Jesse is just like his mama and can't tolerate extreme temperatures very well.

Wasp Sting

Noah has basketball camp this week and is enjoying it. Except that after camp on Monday he got stung by a wasp. Repeatedly. Under his left eye.

He didn't seem like he was going to be allergic, but Tuesday morning Eli came into the kitchen and said, "Noah's eye is almost swollen shut."

It did get better as the day wore on, but I sure felt bad for the little fella!

Not cool! But he's being a trooper and still hamming it up for the camera.

Masks

The boys are going to the daycare one day a week so Tim can go to therapy without them and that kind of stuff.

When I picked them up one day from the daycare Noah had made some "masks" by punching eye holes in papers and drawing faces on the pictures.

Here is the first one. Some random person.

Here is the second one. It is Noah's rendition of himself. Do you see the quote on the shirt?

"I'm prtty much one of the best people I know"

Goes to show he's related to my dad!

Then here is the third and final one. It's me.

I'm not sure about the pink bow in my hair, I don't think I've had a pink bow since grade school. I do have a shirt from church that has an oval as noted on Noah's drawing, and it does say "Grace United Methodist Church" on it. But look closely, do you see that he had to draw in that I have boobs? Should I be worried? He's 8!

Happy Birthday Noah!

It's Noah's birthday again! I'm just not sure how that happened so quickly! He has turned into an avid reader over this last year. He gets straight A's on his report card and is such a willing student. He can be a very sweet boy and we are working to make the sweetness come out more than the orneryness, cause he has his fair share of that too. He's also begun to enjoy mowing this year, which is a relief. He's just growing up!

Happy 8th Birthday Noah! May God richly bless you this year!

DestiNation ImagiNation

Eli and Noah are both in a program called DestiNation ImagiNation. They are in different groups since they are different ages. It is a "sciency" kind of thing and it is really interesting. You have to be invited by the teachers heading it up in our schools to be on a team.

They start in second grade at our school and Noah was invited right off; Eli had not been. I went the parent meeting and thought it seemed up Eli's alley. I talked to the teachers in charge and they agreed it would be good for Eli too-but had to see if they had enough for an additional fourth grade team. And of course, I would have to be the parent leader.

They found enough children (teams are 3-7 students), all boys no less, and I became the Team Manager. It was not the most administratively organized group I have been a part of, which is very frustrating as a Team Manager, but other than that, it was a pretty good experience. The boys all loved it and I got to really see Eli come out of his shell.

There were instant challenges to practice as well as a central challenge to pick and plan and develop over the course of four months. Then to take the central challenge to the tournament to present before the appraisers (judges) to be scored.

Noah's group, as second graders, were in the non-competitive category since the parents were allowed to help on a limited basis. Eli's group had to sign a declaration of independence to say that they had no interference from outsiders, including parents, since they were in the competitive category. It is very difficult to not interfere at all when a group of children is working towards a goal and the path they are taking won't get them there. But it allows them to learn. And you to be creative in how to ask questions that get them thinking of different angles.

Second graders all perform a play, and unfortunately, I did not get to see Noah perform his as I was with Eli's group checking in their structure at the exact same time. I am tracking down the video though. I practiced Noah's script with him and am so excited to see how it all came together. I was told they did very well.

Eli's group built a structure that had to hold weight and had restrictions on materials, height, and weight. They did a great job and learned so much. It turned out that they placed third in their age group for that challenge. At the awards ceremony they collected bronze metals for themselves and a third place trophy for the school's trophy case. Eli's team had a member drop out so they ended up with only three boys, but did wonderfully.

Only the team manager can go in with the team for the tournament instant challenge, so I did not get to see Noah's group complete theirs. Their manager said they did well and the children were happy with how they did.

I did get to go in with Eli's group, and they didn't talk it out as much as I would have liked, but somehow, their finished product was funny, lighthearted, and worked wonderfully. They definitely have learned to play off of each others strengths.

It was an adventure for this Mama. I had prep work for Eli's group before each meeting, and since I couldn't lead Noah's group I helped to gather materials for them to ease the burden on their manager and stayed at practice as much as I could. I took Jesse with me to Eli's weekly practices and I think he learned a lot too. Simon went with me to a couple of Noah's practices and got to participate as a member, which was great for him. I made friends with some more moms and Eli made friends with some more boys, which is not easy for either of us, but weekly meetings for four months will do that! I have learned that Eli loves to act and is a good support team member, but hangs back from leading. I have learned that Noah needs lots of affirmation (don't we all?).

It was great for me and all of my boys, however with DI on different days after school, Noah's basketball, church on Wednesdays, working on taxes, and Tim's surgery, I'm glad it's done and we can just play outside more!

It must be Sunday!

On Sunday mornings a lot of times Tim gets up and gets the fires going and then makes eggs for breakfast. I take the opportunity to not jump out of bed like I do during the week and leisurely get ready. Then when I get downstairs there is often a plate of eggs for me too. Which is nice. I'm a little bit spoiled!

Generally too, since church doesn't start until 10:00 we are much more laid back as compared to the weekdays when the boys are on the bus at 7:30 and even Saturdays when Eli has to be at the tutor's by 8:30 and I have appointments at 9:00. So I'll go to Tim and give him a kiss, or he'll come to me, but it's generally a "real" kiss and not just a quick peck like on a Tuesday when I'm scurring out to get the boys on the bus and get me to work on time.

And per usual, the boys always watch. They act as though it's gross and they hate it, but they love it! This particular Sunday Tim came to me and kissed me and Noah said, "Well, it must be Sunday."

We looked at him and asked, "Why?"

He smiled and said, "It's always a longer kiss on Sunday."

Indeed child, indeed.

So now that's our Sunday mantra, Kiss longer on Sunday. It's good, you should try it too!

Rest

The boys have been passing around some kind of puking bug the week.  Good times.  I stayed home with Simon and he was laying onf the couch and I was sitting in the recliner working on a self-study workbook.  Yay for being a CPA :-)  Anyway, Simon was fidgeting and I said, "Simon, just rest, you don't have to sleep, but just rest."

He got kind of whiney and said, "Rest? What is rest? I don't know what that means."

I chuckled and explained it to him, but really that doesn't surprise me, he really doesn't know how to rest, he's just like his dad.  Always busy, always moving and never resting.

When Tim got home I told him he laughed and laughed, and then said, "Well, that's really good that he doesn't know how to rest."

Which made me laugh.  I think he wants all the boys to be workers like him so they can work together all the time.  But we all know that I've got Noah, he's my napper (a title he claims proudly), movie watcher, and reader, just like his mama!

Growing Up

My boys are really growing up, you know how sometimes it just hits you?  This weekend has been like that.

Eli made scrambled eggs for breakfast on Saturday, then made himself and Jesse fried eggs on Sunday morning.  I know he's old enough to do it, it just hit me that we really are preparing him to fend for himself and leave us someday.  I kinda don't like to think about that part.

Also on Saturday Eli ran up to me and said, "Can we watch that movie we got in the mail? "Knowing we don't subscribe to netflix, I said, "What movie?"
"Well Lee said there was a movie in his Lego magazine so I just checked ours and there is one, see? Can we watch it?" just like a big kid would do.  I said sure and off he ran.  7Long gone are the days when they need help putting in a DVD or putting the TV on the right input.

Eli had his championship soccer game over the weekend, which they won by the way, and on the way home I see Noah leaning over and whispering to Eli, so I ask what is going on. Noah nudged Eli and then Eli said, "Well, we were thinking that since I won, we could go out to dinner to celebrate. And I know just where I want to go.  Friendly's!" Noah with all of his careful scheming to get his way, he later asked if they could watch a movie and eat popcorn as part of Eli's championship celebration. Where does he get this stuff?

"I'll talk to Dad, we'll see." We, of course, did take everyone out to eat, I mean we celebrate good grades, we better celebrate a champion!

Since Simon had watched the LEGO DVD he was creating like a fiend for the rest of the weekend. He had been given some new ideas and he was running with it. That boy and his creations, they are something to behold. I think I'll start taking pictures of them. He's growing up fast.

Then comes my Jesse, not one to be left out, he had to grow up on me this weekend too. As I was passing out vitamins he said, "See Mom, I can say it! Vitamin!" I was happy and praised him, but then I said, "Yeah, but I'm going to miss "bite-a-vin."

Eli, ever his father's son, didn't understand, Noah, his mama's boy said, "I know, it's so cute." Simon had no opinion since he was off playing LEGOs already. Tim didn't understand me either. Such is the life of a mama of growing boys.

First Days

Well they're all in some kind of school now.  Here's a picture of the "big" boys on Simon's very first day of kindergarten. 

And Simon getting on the bus for the very first time.

 Then Jesse started preschool, complete with a backpack and lunchbox.

So they're all in some kind of school this year.  Man it's going fast!

Natural?

Eli and Noah and I saw a picture of a canyon, it might have been the Grand Canyon, I don't know, but it was a beautiful picture. 

"Isn't that amazing?" I asked them.

"Yeah, that's really neat.  How is it like that?" Eli asked.

"It's all natural.  Over a long long time the water wears away the rock and cuts it down.  At the bottom is the river that washed it away," I explained.  "I'd like to go there sometime, I'd like to take you boys there for a vacation.  Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Yeah!" they both say.  Then Noah continues on, "So it's natural?  People didn't do it?" he seems a little unsure.

"Nope, it was all the water.  Isn't that amazing?"

"So, the river made the faces of the presidents?" he asked, with a little smile.

"Oh, no!  I didn't realize you were thinking of Mt. Rushmore!"  Eli and I laughed a little here, and so did Noah, so he might have been yanking my chain.  "Yes, people did carve that out of rock, but the canyons are made by rivers.  I'd like to see Mt. Rushmore too, wouldn't you guys?"

Haircuts

The boys had been growing out their hair.  Eli was ready to get rid of his, Noah not so much but Tim and I couldn't take it anymore!  Haircuts for them both!

Eli Before:

Eli After:

I don't recognize him!  He's been asking me to shave it for a month, but I wanted to be sure he wasn't going to regret it.  We love to "pet" his head.

Noah Before:

Noah After:

We got our Noah back!

New Idea

As the boys are getting ready for bed Eli wanted to know the quantity of something so I, always wanting him to understand how important knowing his math facts are for daily living, pointed how how he could use multiplication to find the answer.  Noah, who was emptying the bathroom trash was apparently listening, because he said, "They should invent multiplication subtraction, like for addition," as he raised his eyebrows and cocked his head, thinking he just came up with a great idea.  I love it when he makes that face.

I smiled and said, "They did.  It's called division."

He nodded his head, smiled in agreement, and said, "Hmm."

Politics

Eli and Noah and I were waiting on the bus.  She's almost NEVER late so we wondered if maybe there was a sub.  While we were waiting two guys rode by on bikes.  I said, "They're probably riding their bikes to work, that's a good way to save on gas since it's so high.  See, he's got a backpack, maybe he has his lunch in there."
Eli said, "Why is gas so high?"
I'm not sure if I want to get into this, and really I don't know why gas is high so I said, "Well, there are a lot of reasons Eli."
"Tell me just one."
Hmmm.  Is the bus here yet?
"Okay.  Remember that oil spill we had a while back?"
"Yeah."
"Well, after that Obama said he didn't want us to get oil there anymore, in case there was another spill.  So since we are not getting oil there, there is less oil and that makes it more expensive.  Does that make sense?"

Noah said, "Just in case there's another spill."
"Right, but there might not ever be, we don't know."
"Yeah that's true."

I look toward Eli for understanding, he had nodded but I wasn't sure that he really understood.  It's simple supply and demand, but he is only eight.  So I relayed a similar example using peanut butter sandwiches.  That made more sense to him.  So then he says, "I can't wait until we vote for a new president."
"Yes that will be nice, but we don't know what the new person would be like, they might not be any better.  And, we could vote Obama in for another four years, whoever gets the most votes wins, that's the way it works."  Well that's mostly the way it works.  I don't think he's at the political level to discuss the electoral college and whatnot so we'll leave it as the most votes wins.
"Well I wish I could vote."
"I know, but you can't because you'd just vote for whoever I told you to vote for, that's why kids can't vote.  We want people to understand all about it before they vote.  See, there are two main groups, the democrats and republicans that have people that get voted for.  There are smaller groups, but the main ones are democrats and republicans.  And me, I'm one of the smaller groups."
At this point Noah finally pipes in, "What group it that mom?"
"I'm a libertarian."
"A librarian?"
"A lib-er-tar-ian"
"Oh, what's a libertarian?"
"A libertarian is someone who thinks they should be allowed to do what they want as long as it doesn't hurt with other people.  Like, I can't put chemicals into our pond because it drains to the river and that's where cities get their water and clean it for drinking.  Does that make sense?"

Eli nodded, I went on, "Libertarians also think that we should take care of ourselves and if someone in our family or our community needs something, we should take care of it.  The way it is now if someone is poor and needs something the government gives it to them.  Libertarians want just a little bit of government."

Noah said, "Yeah, but now, If a guy needs something, he doesn't have to bother you he just goes and gets it."
I can see the bus so we need to wrap this up.
"True Noah, but the government doesn't have any money, so they take money out of my paycheck and give it to people.  I would rather decide who gets my money."
"Oh," as a light starts to light up in Noah's head.

"Have a great day boys!" I shout as they pile out of the car.

Oh I love to talk politics!

Happy 7th Noah!

Noah is seven!  It's been a fairly anticipated birthday, so we were ready for it (mentally).  We got him a new 18" bike.  He thinks it's pretty cool.  I like how it still has pedal brakes on the back and a hand brake for front brakes.  A nice way to introduce hand braking. 

What I really wanted to get him was a haircut.  I almost hate that his seven year picture will be with this hair, but it will also be fun to laugh at as the years go by, and his kids will LOVE it! So I guess there is a silver lining!

He was thinking a "cowboy" birthday so we were were going to make a star cake and decorate it like a sheriff's badge.  But we couldn't find my star cake pan.  We looked high and low-literally.  Tim looked, I looked, Noah looked, I called both Matt and Mom to see if they had seen it anywhere.  No luck.  It should have been with the guitar cake pan, but it wasn't.  We did have to move my formed cake pans since we are remodeling the pantry where they were stored.  Everything went to the basement, or so we thought.  Couldn't find it anywhere.  I was mad, Noah on the other hand, was very understanding and said that he's rather have the sheriff star cake, but that he really did like guitars and a guitar cake would be great.  So guitar cake it was. 

I put some effort into decorating it so at least it was a good guitar cake, since it wasn't his first choice and he was being so understanding to my prediciment.  (Just watch I'll find the pan this week, sitting out on the counter or something.)

Noah is so compassionate, understanding, and kind.  He has such a loving spirit.  I so love that kid! 

Our challenge for this year of seven is going to be to bring those traits out more often than when he swings the other way.  It's a parenting challenge that I don't yet have a solution to, but between Noah and me, working together, I'm sure we'll figure it out-he is amazing!

Hair cuts

Hair is not a big deal to me, like many other things.  Growing up my mom put my hair in two braids, everyday, until I was about fourth grade, then it went to one braid.  Or it might have been third grade when my little sister was born, come to think of it.  Then in junior high it was so long and heavy it would give me headaches so she started french braiding it for me, that distributed the weight more evenly over my head and no more headaches.  In eighth grade I got my first hair cut.  I mean the first one, ever.  My mom cut my hair-all the way up to my waist!  By the time high school hit my mom didn't want to mess with my hair anymore, and I didn't want her to, but I wasn't a girly girl and didn't really know what to do with it so I kept it long, it was all I knew.  But I learned to french braid it myself, so I did that every day.  I'm a creature of habit and routine; change is not my friend.  (Ironic that I married Tim who craves and thrives on change, isn't it?)  My hair grows really fast so about once a year I'd get my hair cut back up to my waist.  And that was my hair cycle.  Very exciting, I know.

Then in college Tim encouraged me to cut it short(er).  I did and I really liked it, but my hair grows so fast it wasn't long that my hair was long again.  I've had varying lengths of hair, the shortest being chin length, but I always know that if it's too short for what I like that it'll grow out soon, very soon.  I'm very laid back about my hair.

I've adopted that same approach for the boys and their hair.  It's just hair!  Is what I say.  Although there are some limits.  I do all the hair cutting for my five guys at our house so if they want something new they just have to ask. 

Eli has been on a kick of wanting long hair.  Not my favorite thing.  I think it's a Justin Bieber influence, even though I'm not sure Eli knows who he is.  It was getting too long for my liking, Eli was having to swoop it out of the way all the time.  I kept asking him if he wanted me to cut it, but no. 

Then one day last week he said, "I can't take it anymore, just cut it!"  I laughed and laughed.  We didn't have time for a full hair cut and he couldn't wait one more day, he couldn't take it.  I just trimmed the front with the promise of a full hair cut the next evening.  By the next evening he decided he liked what I had done and didn't want any more cut.  Makes my life easier!

Noah is on the same Justin Bieber program, but I insist on cutting it around his ears, for some reason that really bothers me.  He cried and lamented that he wanted the front and back long.  I let it go for now, but we'll see what happens as the weather gets warmer and it gets more uncomfortable to have that kind of hair.  I'm guessing Justin Bieber has AC at his house.  Noah fiddles with his long hair all the time so we'll see how much more Tim and I can take of that!

Attitude

We have some attitude issues at our house. They come and go, but are driven by a lack of sleep I've noticed. Homework time is especially trying for us. An example:

"Okay Noah, get your spelling paper and go ahead and write each of them one time."
"NO!"
"Really? Again? Well, you can do your spelling paper or you can go to bed. I'm not going to discuss it, but if you're too tired to do homework then go take a nap."
"NO! I'm not going to!"
"You don't get to back talk, you heard what I said, do one of them or I'm getting the spoon."
"NO!"
"It doesn't need to be the hard Noah, just do the homework!"
"NO! I'm not going to do it, and I'm not going to bed."
"Well, you're acting like a b-r-a-t and you are going to bed."
"No I'm not and you are acting like a b-u-t-t!"

I'm sure the look of surprise on my face was priceless as I knew from his response that he understood my spelling of brat. What I couldn't believe was that he called me a name, and that he spelled butt right! I hopped up, grabbed the spanking spoon and took a step towards him. He in turn, bolted for the stairs, but he had already earned his spank. Oh the crying and gnashing of teeth.

I love moody boys, er, what?